Monday, October 25, 2004

What has happened to casual attire? When did it become acceptable to look like a slob?

More and more perfectly normal people, respectable people, people who have good careers, nice homes, and a healthy wardrobe budget, choose to dress in faded old T-shirts, baggy synthetic basketball shorts, and dirty baseball caps (often worn backwards) when they go out in public on their days off.

This is particularly puzzling when you consider how obsessed people are over their breasts, abs, thighs etc. For some reason they want their bodies to look great, while they cover up their fine physiques with dumpster fodder.

They claim a desire for comfort. But nice looking clothes can be comfortable, too. Or is it convenience? I don't think so. It is no more difficult to put on a clean, nicely styled shirt than it is to put on an ugly old one.

Friday, October 22, 2004

He said he would be a uniter, not a divider. Have you ever seen this country so divided?

He claims to be a world leader, but the world isn't following.

He said he would only use force agains Iraq as a last resort, but he didn't try anything else. When Iraq allowed UN inspectors back in it provided an opportunity to avoid war. Yet he treated them as an impediment to his war plans, dismissed their findings, and went in anyway.

He told us that Saddam had massive stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction. His Secretary of State went to the UN with photos showing exactly where they were. Yet when the UN inspectors couldn't find anything, he insisted it was because Saddam was hiding them beyond anyone's sight.

He told us that Iraqi oil sales would pay for reconstruction, now he continues to ask for more and more of our money for reconstruction as insurgents continue to disrupt Iraq's economy.

He failed to secure Iraq's borders, allowing terrorists in where few existed before. He also failed to secure Iraq's ammo dumps, which geve the terrorists and insurgents free weapons to use against us. Then he had the chutzpa to say that Iraq is central to the war on terrorism.

He talked tough about getting rid of Saddam's non-existent nukes, but he says little about North Korea's existing nukes.

He ignored the warnings of the outgoing Clinton Administration which told him that Osama bin Laden would be a major problem. Instead he focused on missile defense.

He turned a record surplus into a record deficit in record time.

He complains about "tax and spend" liberals. Though he cut taxes, he's spending more than ever.

He calls himself a conservative, yet he acts impulsively.

He doesn't listen to different points of view, doesn't care what anyone else thinks.

He doesn't involve others in his planning. When he proposes a reform, he doesn't consult with those who would be affected, or even with those whose cooperation is necessary to carry out his plans.

He trusts his instincts, but he ignores hard data.

His campaign rallies are by invitation only. His opponent's are open to the public.

He talks big, but he accomplishes little.

So why do people think he's a strong leader?

Bush is good at making pleasing sound bites for the evening news, but not very good at making things work.

Kerry is good at making things work, but his intricate knowledge of issues doesn't translate well into sound bites.

Too many people only listen to sound bites.

Thus they think that the incompetent one is the strong leader, while the intelligent one is untrustworthy.

This election is not about right vs left, red vs blue. It isn't even about being right.

It is about doing the job right.-------------------------------------------See also The Leadership Issue